Charles william jones



(No Model.)

C. W. JONES. BELT TIGHTENER.

Patented May '7, 1889.

i UNITEDr STATES ATENT rricn.

CHARLES VILIAIAM JONES, OF LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

BELT-TIG HTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,048, dated May 7, 1889.

Application tiled July '7, 1888. Serial No. 279,249. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WILLIAM JONES, a citizen of the United States, residing at London, in the county of Middlesex, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt- Tighteners, of which the following is a speciflcation.

My invention relates to band-tighteners designed more particularly for use in connection with spinning-machines, but equally applicable to other classes of machinery.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of my improved device; Figs. 2 and 3, sectional views of the same, taken at right angles to each other; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6, views, on a smaller scale, illustrating slight modifications.

The objects I desire to secure are to permit freedom of movement of the belt to be tightened or kept under tension, and to provide means for accurately and easily varying the tension or action of the tightener. These results I secure by the construction shown in the drawings, which represent the preferred form of my device.

A A indicate supports, which in the present instance are shown upright and as provided with perforated feet, by which they may be secured rigidly in position; but I do not Wish to be understood as restricting the invention to the special form of supports shown, nor to any particular manner of securing them in position, as these are matters that may and will be varied according to the character of the machine to which the invention is to be applied.

J ournaled in the supports A A is a shaft, B, which is free to turn or rotate therein, and which is provided with a milled head or handle, C, by which it may be turned, as presently explained.

Mounted loosely upon the shaft B, between the supports A A, and free to rotate upon said shaft, is a hollow drum, D, preferably grooved on its periphery, as shown, to receive a ilexible band, E, attached at one end to the drum and having at its free end a wheel or pulley, F, as shown in Figs. l and 2, about or around which the belt to be tightened or kept under tension passes.

The band E may be Hat or circularin crosssection, and may be made of leather, canvas, rubber, thin steel, or any other suitable material. v

G indicates a spring secured at one end to the shaft B and at its opposite end to the drum D, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the spring being so arranged as to be Wound up or put under tension as the band E is unWound from the drum. The drum may be circular, as in Figs. l, 2, and 3, or eccentric or cam-shaped, as in Fig. 4, so that as the band E is unwound and the tension of the spring increases, the leverage of the drum becomes greater and the effect of the spring weaker.' In order that the tension or force of the spring may be varied, I provide the shaft B with a ratchet- Wheel, H, as shown in Figs. l and 3, With which engages a spring-pawl, I, pivoted to one of the supports A.

By holding the drum still and turning or rotating the shaft forward, the spring Will be Wound up and put under increased tension,

as will be readily understood. Backward rotation of the shaft is prevented by means of the paWl and ratchet H I, the ratchet-Wheel I being rigidly secured upon the shaft.

By the use of the flexible band'E the pulley or wheelF at the outer end thereof, and about which the beltA passes, is permitted to move laterally, and also to incline or turn slightly, so as to accommodate itself to the belt, which frequently extends off at an angle to the tightener.

The manner of securing the spring to the V shaft and the construction of the latter are matters that may be varied considerably, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to such details of construction.

The construction of the Wheel or pulley F and the manner of attaching it to the band E are matters also capable of modification, and may be varied according to the requirements in each case.

In the drawings the supports are shown as upright; but in some cases, particularly in spinning machinery, it Will be found necessary to place them horizontally.

It is obvious that instead of placing the spring G inside of the drum it may be placed outside; but this arrangement, which is so simple as tO require no illustration, I consider an inferior equivalent of the construction and arrangement shown.

In order to compensate for the variation in the tension or force of the spring and to keep the tension uniform during the revolution of the drum from the commencement to the Vcompletion of the uncoiling of the spring, I

provide the drum With a helical pulley, J, about which passes a band or cord, K, carrying at its end a Weight, L, the band or cord passing over an anti-friction Wheel, M, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This Weight, acting through the cord, co-Operates with and re-enforces the action of the spring G by acting upon the greater diameter of the helical pulley at the commencement of the uncoiling of the spring, Wh n the tension is the lowest, and on the smal est diameter when the tension of the spring has been increased by the additional Winding up.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. In abelt-tightener, the combination, with a drum and a spring, of a flexible band and an unsupported wheel or pulley secured to the free end of the band.

2. In combination With a suitable support, a shaft journaled therein, a drum mounted loosely upon the shaft, but connected therewith by means of a spring, a ratchet-Wheel secured to the shaft, a pawl adapted to engage with the ratchet, and a band secured to the drum and provided at its free end with a Wheel or pulley.

3. In a belt-tightener, the combination, with a suitable support, of a shaft mounted therein, a drum, a spring, a band secured at one end to the drum and provided at its opposite end with a Wheel or pulley to receive the belt to be tightened, and a device for changing the tension of the spring.

4. In a beltrtightener, the combination, with a suitable support, of a shaft mounted therein, a drum, a spring, a band secured to the drum and provided with a wheel or pulley to receive the belt to be tightened, and a tensionequalizing device arranged, substantially as shown, to maintain a uniform tension during the coiling and uncoiling of the spring.

5. The combination of a shaft, a drum, a spring secured at opposite ends to the drum and shaft, a band secured to the drum and provided at its end with a wheel or pulley to receive the belt to be tightened, a device for Winding or unwinding the spring to increase or decrease its tension, and a device, substantially such as shown, for maintaining a uniform tension.

In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

CHARLES VILLIAM JONES.

'Witnessesz ROY P. JONES, JOHN MOULE. 

